Vegan holiday menu

Thank you for using rssforward.com! This service has been made possible by all our customers. In order to provide a sustainable, best of the breed RSS to Email experience, we've chosen to keep this as a paid subscription service. If you are satisfied with your free trial, please sign-up today. Subscriptions without a plan would soon be removed. Thank you!

Planning a menu for a holiday party is no easy feat, especially when catering to vegan family and friends. However, meatless meal planning doesn't have to be hard and you certainly don't have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to creating your entrees and sides. Simple swaps, like soy milk for regular, vegan cheese for cheddar, and Tofurky for red meat can turn any meal into a vegan one! Plus, with such decadent dishes like shepherd's pie and rich cranberry cheesecake, people won't miss the heaviness that accompanies meat and cheese!

Share the joys of healthy food and healthy living with your family and friends by introducing them to these incredibly delicious vegan recipes. If you are eager to reinvent some of your favorite holiday dishes, like green bean casserole or cheesecake, just swap out the dairy ingredients with soy or coconut milk.

Tofurky stuffing bites

One of the easiest and most delicious holiday dishes to prepare is stuffing. However, to change things up a bit this year, I decided to turn this side into a bite-size appetizer! The great thing about these stuffing bites is that they can be made with both vegan and non-vegan ingredients and the taste is the same -- amazing!

Yields 12

Ingredients:

• 12 pre-cooked phyllo shells
• 1-1/2 cups vegan stuffing, prepared
• 2 basil leaves, chopped
• 3 links Tofurky breakfast sausage links
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

1. In a medium size nonstick pan, cook sausages until fully cooked and browned, about five to six minutes. Take off heat and let cool. Once cooled, chop into small bite-size pieces.
2. Place about one tablespoon of stuffing into each shell. Top with chopped sausage and basil leaves. Garnish with salt and pepper and enjoy!

Greek roasted potatoes

These seasoned potatoes are the biggest hit around our house. Every time we make a batch, the whole thing is gone in less than 20 minutes. Besides being incredibly delicious, these potatoes are naturally dairy and meat free, so no swapping or sacrificing is necessary! Plus, the whole dish is ready in 30 minutes or less, so you can spend more time eating and caroling!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 medium size red potatoes
• 2 tablespoons Greek seasoning
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. In a large pot, boil six cups of water . Place whole potatoes in water and boil until soft, about eight minutes. Rinse and let cool completely.
3. Once potatoes have cooled, quarter and place in a glass baking dish. Cover with olive oil and Greek spice. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are browned and have a little crunch on the outside. Enjoy!

Savory butternut squash soup

There's nothing like a warm bowl of soup on a freezing cold winter day. What makes this soup recipe perfect for holiday gatherings is that it can be prepared up to three days in advance! Made with rich potatoes, celery, carrots, onions and fresh butternut squash, this soup is a great starter or side dish to any holiday meal.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1 small bell pepper, chopped
• 1 large russet potato, quartered
• 1 medium butternut squash, seeded and cubed
• 32 ounce container of vegetable broth
• 2 basil leaves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Vegan sour cream for garnish

Directions:

1. In a medium pan, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, bell pepper, potato and butternut squash and heat until lightly browned, about five minutes. Cover vegetables with broth and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
3. Pour soup into a blender and blend until pureed. Serve with vegan sour cream and enjoy!

Vegan shepherd's pie

This popular Irish meal is incredibly rich, hearty and filling, especially when prepared with ground beef and butter-laden mashed potatoes. Not only is this vegan recipe lighter on the waistline, it's healthier for you since it's packed with fiber rich kidney beans! Plus, who doesn't want a big ol' heaping of warm and cozy comfort food around the holidays?

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 3 to 3-1/2 cups vegan mashed potatoes, prepared
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1-1/2 cups kidney beans
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 parsnips, chopped
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon basil
• 2 teaspoons rosemary
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons shredded soy cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large pan, heat olive oil. Add onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips and mushrooms. Heat until softened, about six to seven minutes. Add peas and kidney beans and heat for an additional six minutes, or until peas are soft. Pour broth and wine over mixture and simmer until mixture thickens, about six to eight minutes. Add salt, pepper, rosemary and basil; stir and remove from heat.
3. Pour mixture into a casserole dish. Scoop mashed potatoes over vegetable mixture, completely covering it. Cover with shredded soy cheese and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. Enjoy!

Vegan cranberry orange cheesecake

The seasonal ingredients, the creamy filling and the homemade graham cracker crust make this festive dessert recipe a perfect end to your holiday celebration. Each bite has all of the flavors you love in regular cheesecake, without any of the hard-to-digest dairy. Serve each slice with a garnish of fresh cranberries, grated orange peel and a dollop of vegan whipped cream. Or, if you're feeling jolly, serve a slice of this to Ol' St. Nick for a sweet he'll gobble down in seconds! .

Serves 8-12

Ingredients:

• 1 prepared vegan pie crust
• 14 ounce package firm tofu
• 1 package Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 1/4 cup low sugar cranberry juice
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set prepared crust aside.
2. Place tofu and vegan cream cheese in the food processor and process for at least one minute. Add in sugar and process until smooth, about four to five minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl.
3. Add orange zest, almond extract and cranberry juice to bowl and stir until fully combined. Whisk in cornstarch and cranberries until completly mixed. Pour mixture into the pie crust and bake for at least 40 to 45 minutes.
4. Chill for at least two hours. Garnish with fresh cranberries and enjoy!

More vegan and vegetarian holiday ideas

Top vegan Christmas recipes
3 Vegetarian holiday recipes
Holiday gifts: Vegan cookbooks

17 Dec, 2011

--
Source: http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/850179/vegan-holiday-menu
~
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com